Garage door



'Juy 6, 1943. l w. D. FERRIS 'Er AL 2,323,807 `GARAGE DOOR OriginalFiled Feb. 5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l 5 551 im j/@f July 6, 1943. w. D.FERRls TAL 2,323,807

GARAGE DOOR j Original Filed Feb.- 5, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 my @a w43 w.D. FERRIS mi 2,323,307

` GARAGE DOOR Original Filed Feb. 5, 1941 5 sheets-sheet 3 jkGfJ. 33

Patented `Iuly 6, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT GARAGE DOGR FHM?.

Original application February 5, 1941, Serial No. 377,498. Divided andthis application June 6,

1942, Serial No. 447,335

Claims.

This invention relates to the door opening and closing devices, and moreparticularly to doors of the garage door type, wherein the doors arecomposed of horizontal sections horizontally hinged together at theii`meeting edges and which move upwardly in unison and then horizontallyoverhead to the open position of the door.

The present invention is a division of co-pend ing application, SerialNo, 377,498, filed February 5, 1941, and entitled Garage doo-r. lo uppersection of the door and the shifting of the Among the objects of thepresent invention is door by means of its rollers along the track mechtoprovide a novel and improved construction anism whereby to guide thedoor to upward overand arrangement whereby a'door of this parhead openposition. ticular character is more easily operated and is Yet anotherobject of the present invention remore free from action that would causejolting 15 sides in the peculiar conformation of the cam or jarring inthe opening and closing movements thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedconstruction and arrangement of doors formed of horizontally hinged tosgether sections normally in vertical closed position and which, whenunlatched, automatically shift to an overhead open position.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a door of theforegoing character wherein the power means for opening the door isdisposed overhead and is connected by appropriate linkage mechanism toan upper portion of the door and in such a manner that as soon as thedoor is unlatched it will automatically move from a vertical, closedposition to an over head open position.

Yet another object of the invention resides in providing a hinged doorof the foregoing char- (Cl. 16d-202) engage with the latch whereby tolock the upper and next to the upper sections in vertically closedposition when the door becomes closed, and conversely, whereby, when thedoor is unlocked by the operation of an independent door lockingmechanism, the door is automatically shifted in amanner to cause theautomatic unlatching of the lug of the lever from the latching mechanismand whereby to cause the inward tilting of the mechanism associated withthe door and the slotted latch whereby to cushion the opening andclosing movements of the door under the action of the power spring.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved garagedoor of the horizontally hinged sectional type wherein certain of thedoor sections carry bearing means adapted to be guided in vertical andhorizontal stationary tracks for shifting the door from verticallyclosed to horizontal open position along said tracks, and wherein springmeans is housed normally within the horizontal portion of the track andis connected to one of the door sections by means of a f linkagemechanism so as to automatically shift the door upwardly when the dooris unlatched, together with means automatically locking and unlockingthe same during the upward movement of the door whereby to incline theleading acter with power mechanism for automatically edge of saiduppermost door section inwardly in opening the door when unlatched toshift it to the Preliminary upward movement of the door an open positionwherein spring means constiand WhOll the DTOVSOH 0f any means inteltutesthe source of power for opening the door, connecting the leading edge ofthis door section and wherein linkage mechanism interconnects With thetrack mechanism. the spring means with the uppermost mst and Anotherobject of the invention is to provide second sections of the hingedsections of the door in a garage door 0f the horizontalIy hinged type.in association with latching mechanism adapted Carrying beelg meansadapted to run in vertical to cause the automatic inward tilting of theupand horizontal tracks when swinging YOIH a V61- per section o-f thedoor when unlatched and to tically, Closed position to an open hOrZOntalpOS- cause 4the door sections to be guided along ver- 45 tion, a springin the horizontal track and pivotally tically disposed track mechanisminto overhead Connected by mea-DS 0f a link, the front end ofhorizontally disposed track mechanism through the link being providedwith bearing means to the intermediary of an interconnecting curvilin-Tim in the aCk and t'he link being IJOSOlfled ear track mechanism.during the preliminary opening movements of Another object of thepresent invention is to the door so as to permit the uppermost doorsecprovide a door of the foregoing character where.. tion to be inclineddownwardly and rest upon said Ain one of the sections of the door isprovided with link, whereby said uppermost door section is a latch, andwherein the uppermost section of guided as the remaining sections of thedoor are the door is provided with a pivotally disposed shifted along bytheir bearing means running in lever carrying at one end thereof a lugadapted to the tracks.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a garage door of thehorizontally hinged sectional type adapted to run in vertical andhorizontal tracks by means of interengaging bearing means carried by thedoor, wherein the uppermost door section is free of such bearing meansand wherein spring means associated with the horizontal track isconnected by means of a link with the next highest door section so as topermit the uppermost door section to swing relatively to said link andtrack from a vertical position away from said link to an inclinedposition, having its front edge supported by said link.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garage or other doorof the horizontally hinged sectional type carrying bearing means adaptedto run along vertical and horizontal interconnected tracks together withthe provision of a power spring disposed in the horizontal track anddirectly connected to the door by means of a rigid link whereby toeliminate the use of exible cable connections in such type of door.

Another object of the invention is to provide in a garage door, or otherdoor, of the horizontally hinged type carrying bearing means runningalong vertical and horizontal interconnected track sections and whereinthe uppermost door section is automatically shifted from a verticallyclosed position to an inwardly inclined position during the preliminarydoor opening movements and wherein a single power spring is used notonly to raise the door to horizontal open position but also is utilizedin association with other instrumentalities acting on the upper doorsection to automatically swing it to such inclined position during thepreliminary upward movements of the door.

Further objects of the invention will be apparent from a perusal of thefollowing specification when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Figure 1 is a vertical section of a garage doorembodying the principles of the invention, showing the same in itsvertical or closed position and showing portions of the garage buildingalso in section.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the uppermost section of the doorunlatched and moving into an inclined position inside the building.

Figure 3 is a similar view showing the uppermost section open to agreater degree.

Figure 4 is a similar view showing the door in its raised and overheadopen position.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section of the tubular track in which eachlifting spring is enclosed, showing a portion of the spring thuscontained in the track.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figures l, 2 and 3, but showing theuppermost section of the door tilted entirely over into its inclinedposition within the building.

Figure 7 is an inside elevation of the portions shown in Figure 6 of thedrawings, being in the nature of an enlarged section line '1 -I inFigure 1 of the drawings.

Figure 8 is an enlarged detail fragmentary View, being in the nature ofa section on line 8-8 in Figure 7 of the drawings.

Figure 9 is a similar view, but showing the parts in differentpositions.

Figure 10 is an inside view or elevation of the complete door, showingportions of the garage building in vertical section.

Figure 11 is a detail cross section, on a larger scale, of one of theoverhead tubular tracks in which the springs are enclosed.

Figure 12 is a View similar to Figure 1l, but showing a diierent form ofthe invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the door comprises the foursections I, 2, 3 and 4, which are hinged together by hinges E at theirhorizontal meeting edges. The uppermost hinges 6 have wheels or rollers'I that travel in the vertical track 8 provided at opposite sides of thedoorway, and which wheels or rollers 'I also travel in the substantiallyhorizontal overhead tracks 9. These overhead tracks are preferablycylindrical in formation, as shown in Figure 11, except that eachcylindrical track has a longitudinal slot I0 at its inner side. Theupper and lower ends of the door are provided with wheels or rollers IIand also travel in these tracks, being carried by brackets mounted onthe door.

The uppermost section I of the door is, as above explained, hinged tosection 2 of the door so that the upper edge portion of this section Iis free to swing outwardly in a vertical, closed position, and islikewise free to swing inwardly into an inwardly inclined position, asshown in Figure 6 of the drawings. Preferably, the upper edge of thesection I is provided with a latch bolt I2 for engagement with a bracketI3 fastened to the top of the doorway so that when the door is closedthis uppermost section I of the door will automatically be latched inclosed position. To unlatch this uppermost section, a handle I4 isswivelled on section 2 of the door, and the inner end portion of thishandle is provided with a crank arm I5 which is connected by a chain I6to the lower end of the latch bolt. In this way, by rotating the handleI 4 the latch bolt is disengaged from the bracket or strike piece I5 andthe door will then automatically move to substantially horizontal openposition.

Between the upper ends of the track sections B and the outer ends of thehorizontal track sections 9, are track sections |60 that are formed in aspecial manner, as clearly shown in Figures 1 to 4 of the drawings. Eachtrack section |60 is composed of two straight portions I`I and I8 and anintermediate curved portion I9. The straight portion I 8 is preferablyof the same length as the straight portion I'I and the ends of these twosections |60, on each side of the doorway, can be welded or otherwisefastened to the ends of the vertical and horizontal tracks. The specialform thus provided for the two sections IBI), as found by actualexperience, ensures a smoother and easier and better motion or movementof the door into its open position, and thereafter in a closed position.The door is shown in its open position in Figure 4 of the drawings whereit will be seen that it occupies a horizontal plane, practically at thetop of the horizontal tracks. In other words, the action of the wheelsor rollers on the door is much improved by the provision of these tracksections ISI) in the form shown and described, and the action is muchbetter than Would be the case if these sections were formed with onecurve from end to end of a single radius.

The subject matter of the track construction, including the cooperationof the spring thereof, is claimed in the prior pending application,Serial No. 377,498 aforesaid, and the remaining subject matter isclaimed in the present application.

In connection with the track mechanism and the door, means is providedfor automatically controlling its opening and closing movements. Inaddition, means is provided for automatically bodily shifting the hingedsections of the door from a vertically closed position to an open,substantially horizontal, overhead open position merely by unlatchingone of the door sections. For this purpose there is a pivot 2D on eachupper corner of the door and each pivot is connected by a link 2i withanother pivot 22, which latter pivot moves up and down in a slot 23 in abracket plate, or cam slot plate 24 fastened to the section 2 of thedoor. In addition, this pivot 22 of each link 2l moves into and out of anotch 25 in a bracket 26 stationarily mounted on the doorway or on someother suitable anchorage. This notch 25 of each bracket, there being oneon each side of the doorway, is longer on its lower edge so that thenotch is shorter on its upper edge .than at its lower edge. In addition,the slot 23 of each plate 24 is preferably formed with a bulged portionthat bulges in the direction toward the door midway between its lowerend and the substantially middle portion of the bracket. This bulge,while not essential to the correct operation of the door, is preferredinA that it iinparts a beneiicial cushioning action to the opening andclosing of the door. The bulge in the slot 23 positions the pivot 22v atthe inner end of the notch 25, as shown in Figure 9, while the straightlower portion of the slot 23 pulls the pivot, out of engagement withsaid notch as shown in Figure 8 whereby the door is ready to moveupwardly into its open overhead position. This construction eases theaction and prevents the foremost section I. from closing violently witha jerk cr slam when it moves outwardly laterally toward the door frame.When the door is latched the notch :25 of the two plates 25 holds thedoor rigidly against any upward movement. For au tomatically opening thedoor when unlatched, and for pulling the door into its open overheadposition, a pair of coil springs are used, one in each of the overheadtracks il. The ends of these springsZ'I are connected by a pair of links28 with pivots 25 on the door section 2. Each link 23 is made double asit iscomposed of two bars spread apart at their lower ends and benttogether at their upper ends. The upper ends of these links 28 areconnected to wheels or rollersl that travel in the overhead tracks andwhich in turn are connected to the springs 2.7 mounted in the tracks`The innermostl ends of these springs may be fastened in'. place in anysuitable manner, as by bolts 3| inserted through the overhead tracks.Thus these springs are always housed inside of said overhead tracks andare never extended therefrom. Hence these springs cannot sag or move upand down, but can only have extension endwise and horizontally withinsaid tracks. The springs are stretched to their full capacity when thedoor is in its closed position, as shown in Figure l of the drawings,but the stretch is practically all out of the springs when the doorassumes its overhead open position against the bumper springs 32'. Inthis way there is no jolting, jarring, or Violent action when the doorreaches its nal open position.

In Figure 12 there is a modication showing a diierent form of overheadtrack which is substantially practically rectangular in cross sectioninstead, of being cylindrical and in which the door has two rollers 33instead of the one roller as shown in Figure ll of the drawings. Thus,in any form of the inventionthe pivots 22 are at the tops of the slots23 when thevdoor is in closed position, as shown in FigureY 1 of thedrawings, and the said pivots are at the same endsot the said slots whenthe door is in open position, as shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. Thisis true, of course, regardless of the form of the overhead tracks, forin each case the same control devices are employed for controlling theuppermost section of the door in the opening and closing of the latter.

In the operation of the door, when the latch I2 is released the top doorsection I will immediately move from the position shown in Figure 1 tothat shown in Figure 2. The pull of the coil spring 2'.' accomplishesthis movement through the various levers and pivots in the followingmanner:

The coil spring 2? pulls on the connecting bar 23. The uppermost end ofthis bar 28 is guided and supported by a wheel I i operating within thehorizontal track S. The lower end of bar 28 is pivoted on or near thehinged joint 5 and is so constructed as to give the proper support tothe wheel I i and keep the wheel straight in the track. This bar 28 alsosupports the weight cf the top door section when the door is open. Thusthe pull of the spring 2'! results in an upward thrust' on the entiredoor. The connecting link 2! pivoted at 2G to the upper corner of thetop door section I has its lower end moving in the slotted bracket 24,which bracket is attached to the door section 2. Anchored in the lowerend of the lever 2l is the stud or pivot 22 which is at this pointconfined in the slot 25 of the stationary bracket 26 mounted on the sideof the frame. As the spring urges the door upwardly, the uppermost doorsection l pivots inwardly about the hinged joint 5 because bar 2 I andstud 22 are held confined in slot 25. Thus, as a result of this, the topdoor section is pulled inwardly and downwardly. After it has been pulledinwardly just little way it is assisted by gravity and continuous untilit rests on the bar 28 (see Figure 6). During the time this is takingplace the roller I is raising and passes from theA straight verticaltrack 8 into the inclined portion II of the track Iii carrying thebracket 24 and the slot 23 upf wardly along with the door section 2, butthe stud 22 is prevented from raising by slot 25, but sincek the slottedbracket 2li is raised with the section 2, this bracket also movesinwardly somewhat due to the roller 'I being guided upwardly andinwardl-y on track Mii). Bracket 2li cannot raise the stud 22 but itdoes push the stud outwardly of the slot: 25. until the .stud is clearof this slot 25. In this position the stud 22' i5 new free to move onupwardly, together with the entire door, the spring 2l furnishing thepower. The purpose of the bulge in the slot 23 is to reduce the suddenjar on the mechanism when the `door is being closed and stud 22 strikesthe lower edge of the slot 25. The bulge in the slot is not for thepurpose of moving the stud 22- in and out of slot 25 in the stationarybracket 2B, This latter .movement is attained by the movement of thedoor section 2 as the roller I, located at the hinged joint between doorsections i and 2, moves from the vertical trackl section 8 into thecurved section ESI). The important fact isv that the bracket- 26 haslthe slot 25, the Lipper edge of which i s shorter than the lower. Thus'when the door is being closed the stud 22 strikes the lower edge of slot25 and is thus never permitted to go lower than this point as the doorcontinues downwardly in its closing movement. This stud 22 thus remainsstationary with respect toa vertical direction, but necessarily moveshorizontally deeper intoslot 25 the'movement of the door section 2 beingthe cause of this horizontal movement. Reversely, on the openingmovementI of the door, the door causes the outward movement of stud 22in slot 25, allowing stud 22 to clear the short upper edge of slot 25 inbracket 26.

In closing the door the stud 22 strikes the lower edge of slot 25 whenthe bottom door section 4 is approximately six inches from the oor. Fromthis point on until the door is entirely closed, the lower edge of slot25 forces the uppermost door section closed due to the pressure of theslot 25 on the stud 22 in the lower end o the connecting bar 2 I. It isonly during the final closing and the initial opening of the top doorsection l that the mechanism comprising connecting bar ZI, stud 22,bracket 24 and slot 25 have their function.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the door starts moving upwardlypractically as soon as the upper section thereof is unlatched and thatsuch movement causes the first wheels or rollers on the door to enterthe straight portions Il of the specially formed track sections i60, asindicated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, and this action causes thelinks 2l to pull the door section I into an inclined position becausethe pivots or studs 22 are at such time still in the notches 25 of thetwo bracket plates fastened to the door frame. However, as soon as thissection I reaches the position shown in Figure 6 of the drawings thesprings 2'I then exert a pull that raises the door to an extent suchthat the slots 23 move the pivots 22 out of the notches 25 so that thedoor is then free to move upwardly and into its horizontal overhead openposition. One of the functions of the bulges or curves in each slot 23is to hold the pivots 22 back in the notches 25, as shown in Figure 9 ofthe drawings, at a moment when it is important that this be done toensure the proper desired action of the door.

It will thus be seen that in the present construction the single spring2l is housed within the horizontal track mechanism and is connecteddirectly to the door sections to raise the door, by means of a linkmechanism and preferably a rigid link mechanism, which is preferablyconnected t the next to uppermost door section so as to permit theuppermost door section to swing freely from a vertical closed positiont0 an inwardly inclined position during the preliminary door openingmovements so as to permit the remaining sections of the door to movealong the track way, and furthermore we have provided this linkmechanism interconnecting the secondmcst section of the door and thespring with roller means adapted to run in the track and which linkmeans is positioned so as to support and form a stop for the door in itsinclined position; and in addition we have provided automatic meansoperative by the upward movement of the door and thus operative by thesingle spring 21 in association with instrumentalities cooperating withthe uppermost door section and particularly the link 2| forautomatically shifting the uppermost door section from the Vertical,closed position to an inwardly inclined position during movement of thedoor so as to pre-position it for upward door travel and this automaticinstrumentality is carried out by the use of the stationary latchmechanism 26 in association with the shiftable cam 24, including the camslot 23.

It is thought that the invention and numerous of its attendantadvantages will be understood from the foregoing illustrativedescription and it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in theform, construction and arrangement of the several parts withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing anyof its attendant advantages, the form herein described being a preferredembodiment for the purpose of illustrating the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a garage door construction in which the door comprises a pluralityof horizontal sections hinged together at their horizontal meetingedges, vertical tracks at the sides of the doorway, overhead tracksdisposed horizontally, and intermediate track sections connecting thevertical tracks with the horizontally disposed tracks, the uppermostsection of the door being free to swing inwardly from a vertical orclosed position in the doorwayl means on the door engaging said tracksand track sections, links having their upper ends pivoted on the upperedge portion of the uppermost door section, a locking or stud mechanismfor the lower ends of said links and stationary means on the sides ofthe doorway for engaging said studs or locking means to pull theuppermost door section inwardly at the beginning of the operation of theopening movement of the door.

2. In a 4garage door construction in which the door comprises aplurality of horizontal sections hinged together at their horizontalmeeting edges, vertical tracks at the sides of the doorway, overheadtracks disposed horizontally, intermediate track sections connecting thevertical tracks with the horizontally disposed tracks, the uppermostsection of the door being free to swing inwardly from its vertical orclosed position in the doorway, means on the door engaging said tracksand track sections, links having their upper ends pivoted on the upperedge portion of the uppermost door section, pivots for the lower ends ofsaid links, and stationary means on the sides of the doorway forengaging said pivots to pull the uppermost door section inwardly at thebeginning of the operation of opening the door,

3. A structure as specied in claim 2, comprising plates on the doorsection immediately below the said uppermost section, said plates havingslots for engaging said pivots, thereby to control the engagement ofsaid pivots with and their disengagement from said stationary means, inthe opening and closing of the door.

4. A structure as specified in claim 2, comprising springs in saidoverhead tracks connected to pull on the upper edge portion of the doorsection immediately below said uppermost section, so that the latter isfree to swing inwardly and outwardly at its open edge on the hingesbetween its lower edge and the upper edge of the door sectionimmediately below said uppermost section, said springs being fullyenclosed in both the open and closed positions of the door, and beingpractically free from stretch or tension when the door is in openposition.

5. A structure as specified in claim 2, said stationary means comprisingbracket plates at opposite sides of the doorway, each bracket platehaving an open horizontal notch formed with a longer lower edge than itsupper edge.

6. A structure as specified in claim 2, the upper edge portion of theuppermost door section having a latch bolt, means on the top portion ofthe doorway for engaging said latch bolt, and means controllable fromthe outside of the door to release said latch bolt when it is desired toopen the door.

7. A structure as specied in claim 2, the coni nections between thesprings and the door section immediately below the uppermost doorsection comprising a pair of bars at each side of the doorway, thesebars being bent together at their upper ends at each side of the door,and each pair of bars being spread apart a substantial distance Wherethey are pivoted on the upper portion of the said lower door section.

8. A structure as specified in claim 2, said overhead tracks beinghollow in cross section and each provided on its inner side with a slotfor means carried on the door.

9. A multi-sectioned overhead door comprising a plurality of hinged doorsections, bearing means on each of said sections engageable with a pairof tracks, said tracks being located on opposite sides of the dooropening and each having a vertical rail merging inwardly at the topthereof with a horizontal rail substantially normal to said opening,means pivotally connected to the upper portion of the uppermost doorsection and movable therewith as said door sections move upwardly fortilting the uppermost section oi the door inwardly and additional meansconnected to said doors and bearing in the track sections for causingsaid door sections to move along the track sections whereby to shift thedoor from vertically closed position to substantially horizontaloverhead open position.

l0. A. multi-sectioned overhead door comprising a plurality of hingeddoor sections, bearing means on each of said sections engageable with apair of tracks, said tracks being located on opposite sides oi' the dooropening and each having a vertical rail mergingT inwardly at the topthereof with a horizontal rail substantially normal to said opening, aspring for opening the door, a stationary latch, a cam slot carried byan intermediate section of the door, a link pivotall'y connected to thetop of the top section of the door having a lug operative in said camslot, a second link connecting the spring and that section of the doorbearing the cam slot, said cam slot being shaped whereby upon unlatchingthe door said spring tends to move the door upwardly and causes the camslot to hold the lug in the stationary latch and thereby cause theinward tilting of the upper section of the door and thereafter upon thefurther upward movement of the door to release said lug from saidstationary latch and to shift the bearing means of the door sectionsalong the vertical and horizontal tracks from a closed position of thedoor to an open, substantially horizontal position of the door.

11. In a garage door of the type havingr a plurality of horizontallyhinged sections adapted when vertically positioned to be in door closingposition, track means having vertical and horizontal portions bearingmeans disposed substantially at the juncture of the two highest doorsections, the upper door section being free of bearing means, saidbearing means operating in said tracks, spring means for shifting thedoor, a link interconnecting the spring means with the door section thatis hinged to the upper portion of the next to the highest door sectionwhen the door sections are in closed position, a second link pivotallyconnected to the top of said uppermost door section, a stationary opensiotted latch, a lug on the bottom of said second link adapted to entersaid slot of the latch and a cam plate carried by the second highestdoor section and operative on said lug for holding said lug in saidlatch slot whereby to shift the upper door section inwardly and awayfrom vertical closed position, said cam means thereafter removing thelug from said latch slot as said door moves upwardly, said spring andlinkage mechanism thereafter causing said door sections to travel alongsaid track to shift it overhead to substantially horizontal position.

12. In a garage door construction of the horizontally hinged sectionaltype, the combination of a stationary doorway having vertical and hori-Zontal interconnected tracks, bearing means on the door sections runningin said tracks, the upper portion of the top section of said door beingfree of said bearing means and tiltable toward and from said stationarytrack means, spring means mounted at the top of said door frame andhavine one end anchored, a linkage connected to the opposite end of saidspring and to one of the door sections, a second linkage connected tothe top of the top door section, and means automatically acting uponsaid second linkage upon the upward movement of the door for shiftingthe upper section of the door inwardly and for thereafter causing saiddoor section to travel along said track mechanism.

i3. In a garage door having l'lorizontailyv hinged sections, thecombination of a dodr frame, track means anxcd thereto having verticaland horizontal sections and an interconnecting section along which thedoor is adapted to move, bearing means carried by certain of the doorsections adapted to run in said track means, spring means, doorimpelling means operative by said spring and connected to the door andoperable in the track sections along the horizontal track and connectedwith the door for pulling the door upwardly to open position along saidtrack, and instrumentalities associated with certain of the doorsections for shifting the upper door'section 'from closed verticalposition to inwardly inclined position upon the preliminary upwardmovement of the door whereby to preposition said uppermost door sectionfor movef ment of the door sections upwardly into horizontal overheadposition along said track.

14. In a garage or other door construction wherein the door is composedof horizontally hinged sections, a door frame including vertical andhorizontal tracks having interconnected track portions, certain of thedoor sections having bearing means adapted to run in said tracks, powerspring means having one end stationarily anchored, the opposite end ofthe spring means being connected to one of the door sections, andadditional means for causing the uppermost door section to swing from avertical closed position to an inwardly inclined position during theupward movement of the door sections by the spring.

15. In a garage or other door construction wherein the door is composedof horizontally hinged sections, a door frame including vertical andhorizontal tracks having interconnected track portions, certain of thedoor sections having bearing means adapted to run in said tracks, powerspring means disposed in the horizontal track, said spring means havingone' end anchored, another portion of the spring means being connectedby means of a link to one of the door sections, the uppermost doorsection being free to swing from a vertical closed position to aninwardly inclined position during the upward movement of the doorsections by the spring, said uppermost door section having an additionallink pivotally connected thereto, and cam means associated with saidsecond link and operative upon movement of said door sections under theimpulse of said spring for automatically shifting said uppermost doorsection relative to a vertically closed position.

16. In a garage or other door construction wherein the door is composedof horizontally hinged sections, a door frame including vertical andhorizontal tracks having interconnected track portions, certain of thedoor sections having bearing means adapted to run in said tracks, powerspring means disposed in the horizontal track, said spring means havingone end anchored, another portion of the spring means being connected bymeans of a link to one of the door sections, the uppermost door sectionbeing free to swing from a vertical closed position to an inwardlyinclined position during the upward movement of the door sections by thespring, said uppermost door section having an additional link pivotallyconnected thereto, and cam means associated with said second link andoperative upon movement of said door sections under the impulse of saidspring for automatically shifting said uppermost door section relativeto a vertically closed position, said cam means comprising a cam platexed on the next to uppermost door section and operatively associatedwith the lowermost portion of said second link, and stationary latchingmeans adapted to be engaged with and disengaged from the lowermostportion of said second link for cooperating with the upward movement ofthe door for inwardly shifting the uppermost portion of said y,l

door.

17. In a garage or other door of the horizontally hinged sectional type,a door frame having a vertical track and a horizontal overhead trackwith interconnecting sections, certain of the door sections havingbearing means adapted to run along said track sections, a spring housedwithin the horizontal track and having one end anchored, a rigid linkpivotally connected to the opposite end of the spring, a roller on theend of the link connecting with said spring and adapted to run insaidtrack, a second roller disposed at the hinged connection of theuppermost and next to uppermost door sections, said second rolleradapted to run in said track, the opposite end of said rst link beingpivotally connected ,to the door adjacent said rst mentioned hingeconnection, a second link pivotally connected to the uppermost edge ofsaid door,

said second link carrying at its opposite end` aY latching stud, aslotted cam plate carried by said next to uppermost door section andadapted to receive the stud on the second link, a stationary latchingplate carried by the door frame and having a latching slot thereinadapted to receive the latchng lug on the second link, said cam platebeing shaped to cause the locking engagement of the lug on the secondlink with said cam slot and its automatic disengagement from saidlatching slot whereby to cause the automatic inward tilting of the uppersection of the door from a closed vertical position duringV the upwardmovement of the door.

el (l 18. A multiple sectioned overhead door comprising a plurality ofhinged door sections, tracks located on opposite sides of the dooropening and each having a vertical rail merging inwardly at the topthereof with a horizontal rail substantially normal to said opening,spring means having one end anchored, a carrier movable with the door inall positions of the door, said carrier being pivoted to the doorsection beneath the uppermost section at one end and having meansrunning in the tracks at its opposite end, the end of said springopposite the anchorage being connected to said carrier and whereby topull the door to open position when the door is unlatched, means forautomatically shifting the upper door when unlatched comprisingmechanism pivotally connected to the upper portion of the door, andstationary means operatively associated with said second mentionedmechanism for causing the automatic shifting of said uppermost door uponmovement of the door.

19. A multiple sectioned overhead door comprising a plurality of hingeddoor sections, a frame, tracks mounted on the frame at the sides of theopening, each track having a vertical rail and at the top a horizontalrail substantially normal to said vertical rail, means adapted to run inthe track and bodily movable with the uppermost door section in allpositions of said upper door section, a carrier connected to one of theleading door sections of the door and operable in said track, springmeans for urging said carrier in a predetermined direction, and meansfor shifting the uppermost door section upon movement of the door alongthe track, said means being pivotally connected to the upper portion ofthe uppermost door section, and actuating means for said last namedmeans for shifting said uppermost door section upon movement of the doorsections along the track.

20. In a garage door construction in which the door comprises aplurality of horizontal sections hinged together at their horizontalmeeting edges, vertical tracks at the sides of the doorway, overheadtracks disposed horizontally, and intermediate track sections connectingthe vertical tracks with the horizontally disposed tracks, the uppermostsection of the door being free to swing inwardly from a vertical orclosed position in the doorway, means on the door engaging said tracksand track sections, means for automatically bodily shifting the hingedsections of the door from closed to open position comprising elongatedmechanism having an upper portion pivoted on the upper edge portion ofthe uppermost door section, and locking mechanism for a lower portion ofsaid elongated mechanism, and stationary means on the sides of thedoorway for engaging said locking mechanism to pull the uppermost doorsection inwardly at the beginning of the operation of the openingmovement of the door.

BIRDIE D. FERRIS. Emecutri of the Estate of William D. Ferris,

Deceased.

CECIL R. WOLF.

